The Aftermath
by Catii'aSofii'a
Summary: They defeated the Mandarin. Pepper was "fixed". The arc reactor removed. What's next? Pepperony. Subtle hints of the other Avengers.
1. Chapter 1

**Another Pepperony multichapter, this one set after IM3. It was supposed to be a one-shot, but my Pepperony muse didn't agree and thought we needed more. It won't be long, just a couple of one-shots in chronological order. I hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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**Chapter 1 – The Worlds Needs Iron Man, Pepper Potts Needs Iron Man**

Tony stood in the balcony of the penthouse, wondering: what's next?

The Mandarin was gone, so were all of his suits. _All_ of them. Like he promised, he had fixed Pepper and then submitted himself to the removal of the arc reactor. His house in Malibu was destroyed, but he had recovered Dum-E, U and Butterfingers from the deep ocean and had fixed them too. They still created havoc at his laboratory.

Truth was…Tony was completely and utterly _bored_. Without his suits, without that focus, Tony realized he had very little going on.

Sincerely, he was tempted to build another suit, just one. Just an insurance of safety. So far no other mad man had showed up, but Tony had experienced so many things that he couldn't stop thinking 'what if someone else shows up and I'm not ready?'. He didn't need the arc reactor in his chest to _be_ Iron Man, or to wear the suit. Rhodey didn't have one and flew around in the Iron Patriot all the time. Tony was holding himself back because of…

"Honey, I'm home!"

…_her_. Tony turned around and entered the living room, watching Pepper sit down on the couch to remove her high heels. Pepper had been relieved with the operation clean slate and Tony wouldn't dare to break her heart or to hurt her again. She had been through so much already, and because of him, he just couldn't bear to see her disappointed.

"How was your day?" Tony asked with a grin, as he helped her stand up. He kissed her softly, enjoying having her in his arms again after that morning.

Tony went so far as thinking about getting back to Stark Industries to help Pepper and be a proper co-CEO. That's how desperate he got sometimes.

"Hmm, it got much better right now," Pepper smiled wrapping her arms around his neck. "I went to a couple of meetings, closed some contracts, the usual. After the whole Killian mess that benched me for that _whole_ month, I have everything under control again. But it took me some time!"

"It wasn't that bad, Pep, you had Skype conferences and I practically had to rip the Blackberry from your fingers every night! Also, you're overreacting, nothing was ever that bad."

Pepper shrugged. "What about you, what did you do all day Tony?"

"I tried to cook…" Tony started pursing his lips.

Pepper turned her head to the kitchen. She would rather not talk about that mess.

"…I failed," he pouted and she laughed. "A cleaning crew will be here tomorrow, so I took the liberty to order take out for us," Tony said and Pepper sighed.

"Sounds good. You only tried to cook?"

Tony shrugged. "I think I updated JARVIS too…"

"Again?" Pepper raised her eyebrows.

Again, Tony shrugged. Pepper kissed his cheek. "I'm going to change to comfortable clothes now, I'll be right back."

He watched her go with a smile. "Yeah, I'll try not to…be bored to death," he whined to himself dropping his body on the couch.

Pepper that had heard him, sighed. Arriving at their bedroom she changed into more comfortable clothes. God, she knew how bored Tony had been and how well behaved too. She wasn't sure what to do, but she knew what he was itching to do. He wanted to go to his workshop and work on a suit again. Pepper also knew that he was holding himself back because of her. Pepper knew how the Iron Man could be distracting but she also knew how valuable he was. Unfortunately, Earth had a tendency to be the center of attentions to everything that is evil and maniac. But she was afraid. Afraid that Tony would lose himself all over again in designing those distractions. For Heaven's sake, the man created a legion of almost fifty suits in a short amount of time. It scared her that it would suck Tony in again.

"Huh, the wall is that interesting?"

The CEO was snapped back to reality by the billionaire's amused comment. "I'm sorry, I was lost in thought. Did you say something?"

"Food is here, we can eat," he grinned, kissing her forehead and going back to the living room again.

Good, food. Her stomach growled. She had no idea how hungry she was until just now.

What could she do, what could she do…

* * *

Pepper was unable to sleep as her brain worked for a solution to Tony's boredom. Funny, usually she wanted him to take some time off and now all of his free time and his boredom was worrying her. Maybe telling him to shape up and grab some of the responsibilities of being CEO…but, no, Tony wouldn't be that bored to get on board with that.

"Stop thinking and sleep, Potts," was Tony's mumble commentary, making Pepper frown and look at him. His eyes were closed.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" She asked in a whispered.

"I could ask you the same thing," he opened one eye to look at her. "I can hear you think!"

"I'm just worried about stuff, don't worry," she smiled.

"Worried about what?" Now he had both brown orbs focused on her.

"Never mind, Tony, let's sleep," Pepper shook her head.

"Nope. Talk to me, honey, come on," Tony insisted.

"I'm worried with you," Pepper whispered after a few seconds of silence.

"What? Why?" Even if the dark, she could see his eyes widen.

"Nothing bad, Tony, I swear, I just see how…bored you have been and it's making me anxious to see you like that," Pepper confessed.

Tony sighed and sit back against the headboard. Pepper turned on the lights and sat beside him.

"I know I haven't been up too much, but I got a few things line up for me," Tony smiled.

"Oh, like what?" Pepper asked a little of relief washing over her.

"We do have a house to rebuild in Malibu, so I'm going to work on plans for that," he started and Pepper nodded. "Fury asked my help, as a consultant only, in a couple of things and I can always help you with Stark Industries."

"Oh, Tony, you're that bored?" She asked shocked.

Tony laughed. "I guess, maybe, I am. I never knew how time consuming my suits were until now. It's kind of frightening," he joked. "Pepper…" he started more serious. "I'll adjust, I promise. It's fine. I'm Tony Stark. I'll find something to entertain my mind soon enough. Now, can we sleep, please? Fury wants me early in the headquarters to discuss a couple of things," he shrugged.

Pepper nodded and leaned in to kiss him, while both got ready to sleep again. "Good night, Tony."

"Goodnight, baby," he kissed her forehead, wrapping his arms around her waist and closing his eyes.

Soon, both were drifting to sleep.

* * *

As Pepper ran to Tony's arms, his distraught look was as bad as the day were she had fallen during the fight with Killian. She was close to him when the tears started and she launched herself in his arms. Tony held on for dear life.

"I thought the worst. Are you OK?" Tony asked.

Pepper nodded mutely against his shoulder. It had been an awful day. They had worse days of course, but this was bad. Stark Industries building in New York was taken hostage. Pepper was trapped in one of the high floors with a bomb right next to her. They were threating to blow up the CEO and then to take down the building itself, almost like the 9/11. Fortunately, SHIELD intervened and Rhodey had arrived in time to take Pepper from the upper floor. The bomb still exploded, but it only damaged the upper floors and Pepper was safe.

"I'm so happy that Rhodey got here in time with the suit. God, I was going mad. I couldn't do anything."

"Build another damn suit," Pepper almost yelled in his ears, making Tony wince.

"Pep…" he said softly, stepping away from her to look into her worried and haunted eyes.

"There's always going to be something else Tony. Always. This world will never be completely safe, we will never be completely safe. Imagine if you had your suit…this whole mess would have been over for hours now. Not to undermine Rhodey's work, he saved my life, but he was so far away he barely made it in time. Tony, I swear to you," she held his face in her hands. "You won't be breaking any promise if you build another suit. Just don't go and make another army again."

"Can we agree on two? For back up purposes," he grinned.

"Yes, just…do it. The world needs Iron Man. I need Iron Man."

Tony nodded and pulled her to his embrace again. "I love you, Pepper Potts!"

"I love you too, Tony Stark. Distractions and all," she chuckled in his shoulder and Tony kissed her temple.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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**Chapter 2 – Avengers Headquarters, not Tower**

"To the public, yeah, the Avengers will live and regroup in the Tower, but I thought of a more secret location," Tony shrugged, feet on top of the table while Fury, Coulson and Hill all stared at him. "You are supposed to be dead anyway, Agent Coulson, why the input?" He smirked.

Coulson just glared at the billionaire. "Everything SHIELD does or says is for a reason, Mr. Stark," he spoke calmly.

"The Spider and the Archer know about this?" Tony raised his eyebrows curiously.

"Agents Romanoff and Barton have been informed of the necessary information, Mr. Stark, and Agent Coulson is one of the parties responsible for the Avengers Initiative so yes, he will have input on everything that regards it," Fury spoke this time.

"Why don't you explain us your plan, Stark," Hill asked crossing her arms.

"Right. Well, the Stark family has an empty property a few hours away from the town. If you don't know where it is, you can't find it. There's not much around it and dear old Dad never built anything on it," Tony started.

"Howard had plans for that property. We were supposed to plan and build SHIELD secret facilities there," Fury interrupted.

"Seems like we thought alike…sort of," Tony frowned. "Anyway, my plan was to build there…a house. A big ass house."

"A house?" Hill raised her eyebrows, not impressed.

"It would seem so from the exterior. Look, we all know that the original team that got together to fight Rock of Ages isn't the only ones you want in this Initiative," Tony pointed out.

"You should stop hacking into our servers, Stark," Fury growled.

"Stop making it so easy," Tony snorted. "Anyway, my humble…" Hill snorted while Coulson quirked an eyebrow. "…Tower won't be enough. I thought we would need something bigger. If Xavier can build a mutant school I say we go and build an Avengers one. Only without the teaching. Or with the teaching. It really doesn't make any difference to me."

The other three glanced at each other thinking about Tony's words.

"Well, think about it. If you're willing to go for it, you know where I live," he removed his feet from the table and got up. "Now, if you excuse me I have a fiancée to get back to," he grinned.

"Congratulations, Mr. Stark," Coulson was the first to break the silence as Tony walked out.

"Pepper will sent the invitation, Agent Coulson," the billionaire grinned and left the conference room.

* * *

Pepper greeted Tony with a smile and a kiss. "How did it go?" She asked.

"As well as it can when you are facing Fury, Hill and Coulson," Tony shrugged as the couple sat down on their couch in the penthouse. "Champagne?" He asked confused.

Pepper grinned and shrugged, pouring them each a glass. "Why not?" She handed him a glass.

Tony accepted the glass with a chuckle. "Why not indeed!"

"But didn't they say anything? Anything at all?" Pepper insisted

"They didn't shot down the idea, which is good and I think they looked interested. I'm sure I'll hear some feedback tomorrow," he sipped on the champagne. "Now why are you so…giddy and…excited?" Tony laughed, noticing how Pepper was jumping on her seat.

"I told you my cousin was visiting, right?"

"Yes, is she staying with us?" Tony asked, looking around.

"No, she didn't want it even if I insisted, but I invited her for some brunch tomorrow, to give you both an opportunity to meet," Pepper said. "That's not what I'm…giddy about..."

"Not getting younger here, Potts," Tony grinned as she trailed off and didn't continue.

"Right, well, we went for some girl time. You know, spa and shopping and I kind of found my wedding dress already," Pepper's grin almost broke her face in two.

"Really?" Tony's eyes widened. "Do tell me everything," he asked.

"Nuh-uh, not until the day Stark," she smirked.

"But…that's months away," he whined.

Pepper just smiled. "I know we only just got engaged last month, but…Daphne dragged me inside the store, just to look around and get an idea. But…then it caught my eye. I tried it and it was love at first sight, I can't deny it. I thought I would go through hell to find something that would suit me and my personality but…people will call me insane for deciding this fast…"

"Pepper, if the dress made your eyes sparkle like this, I'm sure everyone will be in love with it too. I would love it even if it was a sack of potatoes drenched in white paint," Tony said with a smile and Pepper swatted his arm with a chuckle. "I want this day to be everything you ever wanted, Pepper."

"I know," she kissed him softly.

"I just don't know why wait for our Malibu house to be ready when we could have it right here in a matter of days. You got the dress you love and everything already!"

"Tony…" Pepper said in a warning tone. "It will be an amazing first memory for our house. Also, I always wanted the beach as my wedding photos background. Malibu means a lot more to us, than New York."

"Fine, fine, I get all that, I just can't wait to call you Mrs. Stark and scare all the boys away!"

"You're the only boy I care about, Tony," she smiled.

"Damn right I am," Tony narrowed his eyes. "Can we elope and have a ceremony later like you want?"

"Nope," Pepper kissed his cheek and got up. "Now, I'm going to take a shower and…"

"…as usual I'll join you," he smirked.

"Good, you're learning," Pepper smirked back and walked, with extra sway to her hips, to their bathroom.

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**Don't start throwing rocks because I added Avengers stuff, I love them too, ok?**


	3. Chapter 3

**I loved Harley so much in the movie, I had to write a chapter with him!**

**Chapter 3 – Old Friends**

Pepper was arriving from a particular rough trip at the Europe central offices of Stark Industries. She had been gone for almost two weeks and couldn't wait to get back home. Ever since the Killian incident from eight months ago, that Pepper felt antsy whenever she had to leave Tony. It was crazy, but true. They had both equal traumas from that time and even if they spoke every night for a couple of hours, Pepper still felt worried and alone. Tony, she knew, felt the same. That's why she decided to surprise him, coming home a day earlier.

She expected to find Tony in his workshop, working on the last details of their new house in Malibu, or tinkering with a suit. What she wasn't expecting, however, was finding him at their penthouse, having pizza with _two kids_.

"Hello…?"

Tony's eyes and a two pair of blue eyes, looked up to her. "Pepper, you're home early!" Tony grinned, getting up to greet her with a soft kiss to the cheek. "I wasn't expecting you 'till tomorrow!"

"Clearly," Pepper nodded with a small smile. "Since you have visitors," she pointed out, raising her eyebrows at the two kids sitting on the living room carpet, eating a slice of pizza.

"Oh, where is my manners…"

"Do you have manners?" The older boy quipped with a smirk.

"Can it, kid, or…no ice cream for you," Tony teased amused and the boy just chuckled. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," he stuck his tongue out at the boy. "These are Harley and Marlene Keener."

"Harley? The boy from Tennessee that helped you?" Pepper whispered, remembering how much Tony talked about the smart ass and clever blonde boy he had met on Tennessee while searching for the truth behind the bombings.

"Not only helped, I saved his life," Harley grinned.

"Nobody likes a show off," Tony narrowed his eyes. "And I had it under control," he shrugged.

"Sure, you did," the boy nodded smugly and Pepper could see why the boy had made such an impression on Tony. "Marlene here is my little sister. She was asleep when Tony broke in!"

"I didn't break in," Tony huffed going back to sit between the siblings. "I simply borrowed the space to keep the armor and myself safe."

"No, you definitely broke in," Harley shrugged.

"Eat your pizza," Tony sighed.

"You must be Pepper, Mr. Tony talks a lot about you," Marlene spoke for the first time, looking up at Pepper with big blue eyes that shined innocence and adoration.

Pepper smiled at the kids and kicking off her heels, she joined them on the floor. "It's good to meet you two. Harley, Tony talked a lot about what you did for him. I also should thank you."

Harley blushed all the way to his hairline and Tony smirked at him. "It's…no problem Ms. Pepper. You want some pizza? There's still a couple of slices left."

"Hm, I would love it. Plane food it's just no good!" Pepper grinned, taking a slice from the box.

"That's because I'm not there cooking," Tony smiled.

"Yes, Tony, because you are such a wonderful chef," Pepper rolled her eyes taking a bite from her slice, and both kids snickered at the billionaire.

"Hey…I can…make omelets," Tony stuttered a little bit flushed. "Most of the times…" he added at Pepper's raised eyebrow.

The four of them finished the rest of the pizzas when JARVIS warned them that the Keener's Mother was waiting down at the lobby for her children.

"Alright, go wash your hands," Tony said and both kids got up and ran to the bathroom, racing each other and giggling.

Pepper smiled, watching them go and then turned to Tony, who surprised her with a passionate kiss. "Welcome. I couldn't do this with the kids in the room, I don't want to traumatize them," he smirked and Pepper chuckled pecking him on the lips.

"I decided to surprise you, but I was the one who ended up surprised."

"Well, if it's any consolation, you did surprise me. In a good way," Tony nodded with a grin, kissing her again. "Let them leave and I'll explain everything to you!"

Pepper nodded when they felt running steps approaching them again.

"Thanks for the pizza, Tony," Harley smiled and moved to hug the billionaire by the waist.

Pepper smiled a bit watching as Tony didn't recoiled from the kid and actually put an arm around the boy's shoulders. A long time ago, Pepper would watch Tony run the other way when kids were involved, but here he was, saying a warm goodbye to an eleven year old and a six year old. Pepper too, say goodbye to both siblings before they got inside the elevator where JARVIS would safely take them to their Mother.

"I can see why Harley made such an impression on you and it wasn't because he saved your ass," Pepper chuckled moving inside the living room to clear the glasses and pizzas' boxes. "That kid doesn't hold back when talking to you."

"He's a good kid and his sister is such a sweetheart," Tony replied, helping Pepper. "I…after he helped me…it's just…"

"You were touched, I get it," Pepper smiled softly.

"Yeah, and I wanted to do something nice for him. And for his sister. I felt really bad when her limited edition Dora the Explorer watch was destroyed because of me," Tony sighed and when Pepper gave him a weird look, he chuckled. "Long story and it's a minor detail, but I was able to give her one identical."

"You flew them here for a visit?"

"It's not that simple," Tony leaned against the counter. "Harley told me that his father had left them six years ago."

"Yeah, I remember you telling me that. Poor kids, Marlene never got the chance to know her father."

"So, I thought that by finding their Dad I would be helping…in a way."

Pepper frowned. "Did you? Find him, I mean?"

"I did," Tony sighed. "You know, I was prepared to many scenarios. The man had a second family and he left this one in Tennessee. Or he even won the lottery and was a scumbag by forgetting about his children. Not all of my scenarios were nice."

"I guess none of those scenarios matched to what you found," Pepper guessed.

"Their father has been dead for six years," Tony whispered and Pepper gasped. "Yeah…apparently, he did went out for the lottery, but…he got hit by a drunk driver and since he had no identification with him, he was taken to the morgue as a John Doe. No one ever claimed the body so…" Tony shrugged.

"That poor family," Pepper whispered. "I'm taking you did something?" She gave him a small smile.

"I flew down to Rose Hill to talk to Mrs. Keener. Lovely woman. I explained her the facts – thank God I took Happy with me, she burst out crying and I can't handle a woman crying – and offered to help. She knew what Harley had done for me when I turned his old garage into a sophisticated workshop, so she didn't question my motives much."

Pepper chuckled a bit. Oh yes, Tony was helpless whenever a woman cried. She would never admit but she had pulled the tears card a couple of times to throw him off his game. "And what did you do?"

"Remember your PA that was looking for an assistant? Yeah, she's not looking for one anymore."

"Tony, I know you want to help this family but an assistant to my assistant needs to be someone who can juggle a lot of functions and deal with important information," Pepper said unsure. "Surely, there would be another position?"

"Pep, this woman juggles three jobs, two kids and manages to keep her house spotless. I think she will be fine, trust me," he smiled. "I mean, I always had a gut feeling when hiring people. You and Happy are a good example of that," Tony grinned.

"Alright, I trust you," Pepper gave up and pecked him on the lips. "I love you Tony Stark. And every day, you just give me more reasons."

"I'm kind of fantastic, aren't I?" He replied cheekily and she was about to reply to him with one of her trademark replies that kick his ego where it hurts, when he silenced her with a deep kiss.

**Sorry for the wait! Hope it was worthy at least.**


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